Manufacture of composite yarn



Sept. 5. 1967 Filed Dec. 22, 1964 J. E. ONEILL MANUFACTURE OF COMPOSITEYARN 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 //Vl Wf0/P. JOHN E. ONEILL *7 4/ F Mm Sept. 5,1967 J LL I 3,339,355

MANUFACTURE OF COMPOSITE YARN Filed Dec. 22, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2-W/////II/fiIII/II/II/I/IIWI II //I ll/ IIIMZI j/% JOHN E. ONEILL UnitedStates Patent 3,339,355 MANUFACTURE OF COMPOSITE YARN John E. ONeill,Springfield, Pa., assignor to Textured Yarn Co., Inc., Philadelphia,Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Dec. 22, 1964, Ser. No. 420,3098 Claims. (Cl. 5712) This invention relates to manufacture of compositeyarns, such as elastic core yarn.

A primary object of the present invention is production of compositeyarns having a component reversibly extensible strand and a componentstrand not reversibly extensible.

Another object is conversion of the draw section of a conventionalspinning frame for use in such production.

A further object is provision of an attachment for such a spinning frameto effect such conversion.

Other objects of the present invention, together with means and methodsfor attaining the various objects, will be apparent from the followingdescription and the accornpanying diagrams.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of apparatus according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the apparatus of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the apparatus ofthe preceding views.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary transverse section through the apparatus of FIG.3, taken at IVIV thereon;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation of part of the same apparatus together withrelated elements useful in con- -to increased length, extending areversibly extensible strand to increased length, and combining them byplacing them in twisted engagement with one another along essentiallythe entire length of each at their respective increased lengths.Particular apparatus therefor is a feature of this invention.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show, in side and front elevation, respectively, apparatussuited to the practice of this invention. Framework 11, shown ratherdiagrammatically in the interest of simplicity, of a spinning framesupports a conventional draw section, such as is used to draft a rovingof staple fibers to increased length and to correspondingly reduceddiameter. So supported are trumpet guide 12, pair of back rolls 13, 14(the former being shown with a serrated surface and the latter with asmooth surface), single intermediate roll 15 (also shown serrated),large and small pairs of belt-supporting rolls 21, 22 and 23, 24, withbelts 25 and 26 each passing about one roll in each pair, and pair offront rolls 28, 29.

Roving is shown passing through trumpet guide 12, between back rolls 13,14, over intermediate roll 15, between belts 25, 26, and (as extendedstrand 10) to and through the nip of front rolls 28, 29, having beennoticeably reduced in diameter (and extended) along the way, the surfacespeed of the rolls being least at the back and increasing toward thefront of the frame.

Pivotally attached to the framework on pin 31 at one end located abovethe nip of front rolls 28, 29 is swing arm 32, which supports guide 33and pair of rolls 35, 36, located parallel to and spaced from oneanother, both 3,339,355 Patented Sept. 5, 1967 lice of which are groovedand the former of which has rimmed drive wheel 38 affixed at one endthereof (and coaxial therewith), with annular drive member 39 fitting onthe rim thereof. Reversibly extensible (or elastic) strand 30 is shownpassing through guide 33, about pair of rolls 35, 36, and about part ofthe peripheral surface of upper front roll 29 in the draw section, andthen (as extended strand 30') to and through the nip of front rolls 28,29.

Shown below the nip of front rolls 28, 29 is pig-tail guide 41, andbelow it bobbin 42 on twisting spindle 43. Ring 45 coaxial with thespindle is traversed up and down along the bobbin, as suggested by thedouble-headed arrow, and carries traveller 46 thereon. The bobbincarries resulting composite yarn 40, wound onto it in relativelyconventional manner. It will be apparent that component extended strands10' and 30', both of which pass through the nip of front rolls 28, 29and (shown indistinguishable from one another) through pigtail guide 41and traveller 46, are twisted together as the traveller slides aroundthe ring at the urging of the bobbin rotating on its supporting spindle,which is driven by conventional means (not shown).

The practice of this invention is self-evident in the light of thisspecification and the illustrations of apparatus and the resultingcomposite yarn. The surface speed of rolls 35 and 36, the latter ofwhich is not driven except by contact with the yarn itself, isrelatively low because of the lesser diameter of roll 35 as comparedwith afiixed drive wheel 38 and drive member 39 thereon, the latterbeing in essentially non-slipping contact with front roll 29;consequently, reversibly extensible strand 30 is extended (and thendenoted as 30') as it passes from roll 36 to roll 29 and remainsessentially so extended upon continuing to the bobbin. Slight reductionin length of strand 30' between the nip of front rolls 28, 29' and thebobbin, more specifically between the roll nip and traveller 46, isunobjectionable and may aid in the covering of strand 30' withirreversibly extended strand 10', which remains essentially unaltered inlength once it has been extended. Of course, upon subsequent unwindingof the composite yarn from the bobbin the reversibly extensible strandtends to shorten and thereby shorten the yarn overall.

The resulting composite strand (previously denoted as 40 on the bobbin)is shown, in side elevation, so extended as 40c in FIG. 6, andunextended or relaxed as 40r in FIG. 7. Recovery of the componentreversibly extensible strand 30 to reduced length (approximating itsoriginal length) causes the component irreversibly extensible strand,which covers the component reversibly extensible strand at extendedlength, as in FIG. 6, to fluff outward into new convoluted strand 10",characterized by a multitude of protruding loops, as shown in FIG. 7 ona somewhat reduced sale. FIG. 8 shows, in transverse section, compositeyarn 40r at unextended or relaxed length (corresponding to FIG. 7) buton a much larger scale. FIG. 8

shows that the loops in component strand 10" extend at In fact, theprotruding loops in component strand 10" follow a generally helical pathabout the core. The representation in FIG. 7 is somewhat stylized asthough the loops extend only in the plane of the drawing, as any otherrepresentation might suggest a greater variation in loop size than themodest variation actually present.

The enlarged representation of swing arm 32 in FIG. 3 shows mountingaperture 34 into which the end of guide 33 fits. That showing of theswing arm and the corresponding showing of component and related partson a like scale in FIGS. 4 and 5 show that drive wheel 38, which isatfixed at one end of roll 35, has rim 37 on which driving member 39seats. The driving member is in toroidal form, and as shown in FIG. 5 itmay have different cross-sectional diameters, the internal diameter ofthe ring circumscribed thereby remaining the same. In addition to member39 previously illustrated, FIG. 5 shows similar toroidal members 39a and3% having larger and smaller sectional diameters, respectively, and thesame internal ring diameter as member 39, which equals the leastdiameter of rim 37, of course-the rim being transversely arcuate, with aradius of curvature corresponding to an intermediate size (withreference to transverse section) of driving member. It will be apparentthat by substitution of driving members of different sizes the degree towhich the reversibly extensible strand is extended before combinationwith the extended irreversibly extensible strand may be changed toprovide the desired degree of extension.

In general, the irreversibly extensible strand is extended approximatelyten times as much as the reversibly extensible strand is extended; theformer being drafted to about thirty times its original unextendedlength, for example, and the latter stretched temporarily to about threetimes its original unextended length. Suitable as the irreversiblyextensible component are natural fiber compositions, such as wool orcotton, and various synthetic fiber compositions, such as rayon, nylon,polyacrylic, polyester, polyolefin, etc.- Suitable as the reversiblyextensible component are elastomeric compositions such as rubber orsynthetic spandex compositions.

This invention provides a most convenient process for making compositeyarns, such as of elastic core type. The particular apparatusillustrated and described, although preferred, may be varied byaddition, combination, or subdivision of parts or substitution ofequivalents while retaining all or many of the advantages and benefitsof the invention. Additional strands may be included as components ofthe composite yarn also without involving a departure from theinvention, which is defined in the following claims.

The claimed invention:

1. Apparatus for manufacturing a composite yarn, comprising meansincluding a first pair of rolls driven at a given surface speed and asecond pair of rolls driven at a greater surface speed, the first andsecond pairs of rolls effective together to extend an irreversiblyextensible strand to increased length, means including a third pair ofrolls driven at a given intermediate surface speed, said third pair ofrolls being of smaller diameter than the rolls of said second pair ofrolls, one roll of said third pair being provided with a drive wheelaffixed at one of its ends, said wheel having a diameter greater thanthat of the roll, a driving member attached on the circumference of saidwheel, said driving member being in engagement with a roll of saidsecond pair of rolls for being driven thereby, the other roll of saidthird pair of rolls being driven by yarn passing in driving contact fromthe one roll to the other roll of said third pair, said driving member,drive wheel and roll of said second pair of rolls being effective todrive said third pair of rolls at said intermediate surface speed, thethird and second pairs of rolls being effective together to extend areversibly extensible strand to increased length, siad second pair ofrolls also being effective for combining the strands at their respectiveincreased lengths by placing them in twisted engagement with one anotheralong essentially the entire length of each.

2. Apparatus for manufacturing a composite yarn, comprising meansincluding a first pair of rolls driven at a given surface speed and asecond pair of rolls driven at a greater surface speed, the first pairof rolls being the back rolls in the draw section of a spinning frameand the second pair of rolls being the front rolls in the same drawsection, the first and second pairs of rolls being effective together toextend an irreversibly extensible strand to increased length, meansincluding a third pair of rolls one roll of which is driven at a givenintermediate surface speed by interconnection with the second pair ofrolls and the other roll of which is driven at a given intermediatesurface speed by yarn passing in driving contact from the one roll tothe other roll, the diameter of each of said third pair of rolls beinglesser than a diameter of a roll of said second pair, the third andsecond pairs of rolls being effective together to extend a reversiblyextensible strand to increased length, said second pair of rolls alsobeing effective for combining the strands at their respective increasedlengths by placing them in twisted engagement with one another alongessentially the entire length of each.

3. Apparatus for manufacturing a composite yarn comprising meansincluding a first pair of rolls driven at a given surface speed and asecond pair of rolls driven at a greater surface speed, the first pairof rolls being the back rolls in the draw section of a spinning frameand the second pair of rolls being the front rolls in the same drawsection, the first and second pairs of rolls being effective together toextend an irreversibly extensible strand to increased length, meansincluding a third pair of rolls one roll of which is driven at a givenintermediate surface speed by interconnection with the second pair ofrolls and the other roll of which is driven at a given intermediatesurface speed by yarn passing in driving contact from the one roll tothe other roll, the driven one of the rolls in the third pair havingafiixed at one end thereof a drive wheel of greater diameter biased intoengagement at its peripheral surface with the peripheral surface of oneof the rolls in the second pair, said drive wheel being effective todrive said driven roll at said intermediate surface speed, the third andsecond pair of rolls thereby being effective together to extend areversibly extensible strand to increased length, said second pair ofrolls also being effective for combining the strands at their respectiveincreased lengths by placing them in twisted engagement with one anotheralong essentially the entire length of each.

4. Apparatus for manufacturing a composite yarn, comprising meansincluding a first pair of rolls driven at a given surface speed and asecond pair of rolls driven at a greater surface speed, the first pairof rolls being the back rolls in the draw section of a spinning frameand the second pair of rolls being the front rolls in the same drawsection, the first and second pairs of rolls being effective together toextend an irreversibly extensible strand to increased length, meansincluding a third pair of rolls one roll of which is driven at a givenintermediate surface speed by interconnection with the second pair ofrolls and the other roll of which is driven at a given intermediatesurface speed by yarn passing in driving contact from the one roll tothe other roll, the third pair of rolls being mounted on a swing armattached to the frame, said swing arm being pivotable to maintain saidone roll driven by said second pair of rolls in interconnection withsaid second pair of rolls, the third and second pair of rolls beingeffective together to extend a reversibly extensible strand to increasedlength, said second pair of rolls also being effective for combining thestrands at their respective increased lengths by placing them in twistedengagement with one another along essentially the entire length of each.

5. Apparatus for manufacturing a composite yarn, comprising meansincluding a first pair of rolls driven at a given surface speed and asecond pair of rolls driven at a greater surface speed, the first pairof rolls being the back rolls in the draw section of a spinning frameand the second pair of rolls being the front rolls in the same drawsection, the first and second pairs of rolls being effective together toextend an irreversibly extensible strand to increased length, meansincluding a third pair of rolls one roll of which is directly driven ata given intermediate surface speed by interconnection with the secondpair of rolls and the other roll of which is driven at a givenintermediate surface speed by yarn passing in driving contact from theone roll to theother roll, the third pair of rolls being mounted on aswing arm attached to the frame, said swing arm being pivotable tomaintain said one roll driven by said second pair of rolls ininterconnection with said second pair of rolls, said roll in the thirdpair having aflixed at one end thereof a drive wheel of greater diameterbiased into engagement at its peripheral surface with the peripheralsurface of one of the rolls in the second pair, said drive wheel beingeffective to drive said roll to which it is affixed at said intermediatesurface speed, the third and second pair of rolls thereby beingeffective together to extend a reversibly extensible strand to increasedlength, said second pair of rolls also being effective for combining thestrands at their respective increased lengths by placing them in twistedengagement with one another along essentially the entire length of each.

6. In a spinning frame having in a draw section thereof a pair of firstrolls driven at a given surface speed and a second pair of rolls drivenat a greater surface speed, the improvement comprising a swing armattached to the frame for pivoting movement with respect thereto andcarrying a third pair of rolls, one of the rolls in the third pairhaving affixed at one end thereof a drive wheel of greater diameterlocated to engage at its peripheral surface the peripheral surface ofone of the rolls in the second pair, said swing arm and drive wheelbeing effective to drive said roll to which the drive wheel is aflixedat a given intermediate surface speed and said third and second pairs ofrolls thereby being elfective together to extend a reversibly extensiblestrand to increased length.

7. In a spinning frame having in a draw section thereof a pair of firstrolls driven at a given surface speed and a second pair of rolls drivenat a greater surface speed, the improvement comprising a swing armattached to the frame at an intermediate location thereon and extendingto and over the second pair of rolls, the swing arm carrying a thirdpair of rolls, one of the rolls in the third pair having affixed at oneend thereof a drive wheel of greater diameter located to engage at itsperipheral surface, as gravity urges the swing arm downwardly toward thesecond pair of rolls, the peripheral surface of one of the rolls in thesecond pair, said swing arm and drive wheel being effective to drivesaid roll to which the drive wheel is affixed at a given intermediatesurface speed and said third and second pairs of rolls thereby beingeffective together to extend a reversibly extensible strand to increasedlength.

8. In a spinning frame having in a draw section thereof a pair of firstrolls driven at a given surface speed and a second pair of rolls drivenat a greater surface speed, the improvement comprising a swing armattached to the frame for pivoting movement with respect thereto andcarrying a third pair of rolls, one of the rolls in the third pairhaving afiixed at one end thereof a drive wheel of greater diameterlocated to engage at its peripheral surface the peripheral surface ofone of the rolls in the second pair, the drive wheel comprising a rimand an annular drive member fitting removably on the rim, said swing armand drive wheel being effective to drive said roll to which the drivewheel is affixed at a given intermediate surface speed and said thirdand second pairs of rolls thereby being effective together to extend areversibly extensible strand to increased length.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,076,270 4/1937 Harris 57-1632,859,583 11/1958 Parker 5736 3,092,953 6/1963 Blackstock 5712 X3,243,950 4/1966 Hermes 57-152 X FRANK I. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

W. E. BURDEN, Examiner.

1. APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING A COMPOSITE YARN, COMPRISING MEANSINCLUDING A FIRST PAIR OF ROLLS DRIVEN AT A GIVEN SURFACE SPEED AND ASECOND PAIR OR ROLLS DRIVEN AT A GREATER SURFACE SPEED, THE FIRST ANDSECOND PAIRS OF ROLLS EFFECTIVE TOGETHER TO EXTEND AN IRREVERSELYEXTENSIBLE STRAND TO INCREASED LENGTH, MEANS INCLUDING A THIRD PAIR OFROLLS DRIVEN AT A GIVEN INTERMEDIATE SURFACE SPEED, SAID THIRD PAIR OFROLLS BEING OF SMALLER DIAMETER THAN THE ROLLS OF SAID SECOND PAIR OFROLLS, ONE ROLL OF SAID THIRD PAIR BEING PROVIDED WITH A DRIVE WHEELAFFIXED AT ONE OF ITS ENDS, SAID WHEEL HAVING A DIAMETER GREATER THANTHAT OF THE ROLL, A DRIVING MEMBER ATTACHED ON THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF SAIDWHEEL, SAID DRIVING MEMBER BEING IN ENGAGEMENT WITH A ROLL OF SAIDSECOND PAIR OF ROLLS FOR BEING DRIVEN THEREBY, THE OTHER ROLL OF SAIDTHIRD PAIR OF ROLLS BEING DRIVEN BY YARN PASSING IN DRIVING CONTACT FROMTHE ONE ROLL TO THE OTHER ROLL OF SAID THIRD PAIR, SAID DRIVING MEMBER,DRIVE WHEEL AND ROLL OF SAID SECOND PAIR OF ROLLS BEING EFFECTIVE TODRIVE SAID THIRD PAIR OF ROLLS AT SAID INTERMEDIATE SURFACE SPEED, THETHIRD AND SECOND PAIRS OF ROLLS BEING EFFECTIVE TOGETHER TO EXTEND AREVERSIBLY EXTENSIBLE STRAND TO INCREASED LENGTH, SAID SECOND PAIR OFROLLS ALSO BEING EFFECTIVE FOR COMBINING THE STRANDS AT THEIR RESPECTIVEINCREASED LENGTH BY PLACING THEM IN TWISTED ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE ANOTHERALONG ESSENTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF EACH.